10 Common Pronunciation Mistakes Every Student Makes

Sanjay Sharma Dec 23, 2024

10 Most Mispronounced word that most students make mistakes with

In this Web Story, explore the 10 most commonly mispronounced words by students, along with their correct pronunciations. Learn how to avoid common mistakes and improve your English pronunciation with these simple tips. Image Source: Getty

Often

Often pronounced as "of-ten," the correct pronunciation is "of-?n," with a silent "t." It’s important to remember that the “t” is not enunciated, which can sometimes lead to confusion in speech. Image Source: Getty

February

Many pronounce it as "Feb-yoo-airy," but the correct pronunciation is "Feb-roo-air-ee," emphasising the “r.” This common mistake occurs due to the difficulty of the "r" sound between the "b" and the vowel. Image Source: Getty

Library

Commonly mispronounced as "lie-berry," the correct pronunciation is "lie-brer-ee." The key is to ensure the “r” is clearly articulated between the "b" and "e," maintaining the proper rhythm of the word. Image Source: Getty

Genre

Often pronounced as "gen-ruh," the correct pronunciation is "zhahn-ruh." The "g" in this French-derived word is soft, pronounced like a “zh” sound, not a hard "g," which is a common mistake. Image Source: Getty

Epitome

Frequently mispronounced as "ep-i-tome," the correct pronunciation is "ee-pit-uh-mee." The "i" should be pronounced as "ee," and the word ends with the sound "mee," not "tome," which is often mistakenly used. Image Source: Getty

Mischievous

Often pronounced as "mis-chee-vee-us," the correct pronunciation is "mis-chuh-vuhs." The word has only three syllables, with the "v" sound occurring in the middle, not the "ee" sound, which causes confusion. Image Source: Getty

Colonel

Commonly mispronounced as "curl-nell," the correct pronunciation is "ker-nel." Despite the unusual spelling, the word’s pronunciation is quite different, with a hard "k" sound and no "r" in the middle. Image Source: Getty

Salmon

Often pronounced as "sal-mon," the correct pronunciation is "sam-uhn." The "l" in this word is silent, a tricky detail that many overlook, leading to the frequent mispronunciation of this seafood term. Image Source: Getty

Nuclear

Frequently mispronounced as "nu-cu-lar," the correct pronunciation is "noo-klee-er." The "cl" should not form a single sound, and the emphasis falls on the “klee” part, followed by “er,” which is often mistakenly simplified. Image Source: Getty

Data

Often pronounced as "dah-ta," the correct pronunciation is "day-ta." The "a" in this word is pronounced as a long "a," rather than a short "a," which is the primary source of the mispronunciation. Image Source: Getty